The NFL took a historic step in May when its 32 owners voted unanimously to allow players to represent their countries in flag football when the sport makes its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028.
The league joined the International Olympic Committee and the International Federation of American Football in celebrating the vote, with all three organizations expressing their collective joy at the prospect of taking flag football "to the next level."
In more than one way, NFL participation accomplishes just that. For a sport that has struggled to gain visibility, investment and infrastructure until recently, the arrival of established names to the Olympic arena not only strengthens the NFL's commitment to flag football as a vehicle for global growth and participation, it also means increased attention and commercial opportunities. After all, who could've ever dreamed about the possibility of Patrick Mahomes throwing a touchdown pass for Olympic gold?
Still, the announcement was received with mixed feelings in some circles. As a player on Mexico's national women's team, I embrace that excitement, but I also feel a responsibility to question what the NFL's participation means to those who have devoted their lives to flag football and helped it reach the heights it now enjoys. The NFL's inclusion could also jeopardize flag football's current infrastructure and even its viability as an Olympic sport moving forward.
"Being on the same platform as those [NFL] players is incredible, but I also feel that we've been doing this for a long time," said U.S. quarterback Darrell Doucette, a five-time flag football world champion. "We built this game, and I would like to do it with mine."
Federation challenges
The IFAF, which is the sport's international governing body, has maintained that national federations will keep jurisdiction over player selection criteria for all competitions that it oversees, and in conjunction with national Olympic committees where that applies. In short, each federation has autonomy in deciding who will wear its colors.
Meanwhile, the NFL has not only cleared player participation for the Olympics but for selection and qualifying processes as well. All under one key condition: Players can participate as long as their involvement doesn't conflict with commitments to their club or to the league.
What happens if a national federation's tryouts and qualifying process clash with the NFL regular season, as is normally the case? Will they have to adjust their schedules to facilitate pros? Will these NFL players be subject to a different set of standards that other athletes must follow regarding preparation and availability?
The IOC welcomes the decision by the National Football League @NFL and its clubs to support NFL players in their desire to compete in flag football at the Olympic Games @LA28. 👇 pic.twitter.com/NujqDWuHSX
— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) May 20, 2025
USA Football, which is responsible for governing flag football in the U.S., is aware that these issues pose a challenge to fairness and equity.
"We have an enormous responsibility ahead: picking, training and guiding the national teams for men and women for LA 28," said Scott Hallenbeck, the CEO and executive director of USA Football. "We will continue developing our high-performance plan that will guide the structure of our national teams. We hope to work with the NFL on specific opportunities so that players can show off their talent and be considered for a team."
USA Football has shown a willingness to adapt its plans and develop specific strategies that allow for the inclusion of NFL players. Other governing bodies have yet to announce how they will manage this issue, but the IFAF has reiterated that each Olympic flag football roster spot must be earned fairly.
A clear advantage
The IFAF clarified that there would not be a limit to the number of NFL players that a national team can have on its roster. However, only one player per NFL franchise will be allowed on each Olympic roster.
Are there enough international players on NFL rosters to loan out for the Olympics?
The NFL can claim more than 30 nationalities among its player ranks, but that number can be deceiving considering who is truly eligible to participate on an international level. For starters, only six men's national teams will compete in the Olympics. Add to that a rather key reality: Not all positions on a traditional American football team translate to a flag football field, where roles that require agility -- think receivers, defensive backs and quarterbacks -- are more functional than others. Linemen and kickers, positions where a brunt of the NFL's international representation is concentrated, are positions that simply don't exist in flag football.
With Americans comprising 95% of NFL rosters, the talent disparity would be clearly in favor of Team USA. Depending on American player interest in the Olympics, the U.S. would also be able field an entire roster made up strictly of NFL players, while other teams would be shut out of that pool.
As it stands, the top-ranked teams according to the IFAF rankings are the U.S., Austria, Mexico, Germany, France and Italy. Of these, Austria doesn't really have any feasible NFL options, as the only player it can claim is Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann, who was born in the country.
Mexico would love a look at the seven NFL players with Mexican lineage, including San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner, Seattle Seahawks rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Sebastian Castro. However, none can be realistically considered since they don't meet the IFAF's citizenship requirement -- leaving Mexico without any viable NFL options at the moment.
Germany could consider Detroit Lions star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, Houston Texans fullback Jakob Johnson, Carolina Panthers corner Michael Jackson and former Colts practice squad safety Marcel Dabo. France has as options Maceo Beard and rugby player Joachim Trouabal, who arrived via the NFL's International Pathway Program. Italy can turn to New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito and Lions tight end Sam LaPorta, though those players would have to obtain citizenship in that country. Los Angeles Rams QB Jimmy Garoppolo and Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone have already done so and are eligible to join the Italian team.
If it's not broken ...
The U.S. has won all major international men's competitions since 2014. The team is an established dynasty and the standard-bearer, so what can NFL players possibly add?
"It's not fair playing against the United States right now, and that's with us facing college athletes from Division I and II, where maybe one or two has spent time on some NFL practice squad," said Benjamin Klever, Germany's quarterback and a global ambassador for the sport. "From now on, the difference is probably going to be even greater."
At the 2024 IFAF Men's Flag Football World Championship final, the American offensive and defensive players switched positions in the second half, taking advantage of a comfortable margin on their way to a 53-21 win over Austria.
NFL players are among the best athletes in the world, but it shouldn't be assumed that they will make an immediate difference on the field or that they will take up all of the roster spots.
Chris "Mad Dog" Russo and Stephen A. Smith share their concerns about NFL players participating in the Olympics in flag football.
Flag and American football share a type of game ball and a scoring system, but the similarities end there. A flag football field is played on a field that's about a fourth of the size of an NFL playing surface. It's also a sport with a completely different pace, technique and manner of execution. Tackling form has nothing to do with stripping a flag. Running routes on a short field isn't the same as doing it over 100 yards. And reads are so much quicker.
"We don't believe that they're just going to step on the field and be part of the Olympic team just because of their name, right?" Doucette said.
Given time, NFL players can absolutely adapt to the quirks of flag football. But in time for the LA Olympics?
Per the agreement, NFL player participation with national teams starts in the spring of 2027, and in games one year later. NFL talent would have to wait until just a few months before the Games begin in July 2028 to fully integrate with their squads.
It's all a question of whether NFL players will make the U.S. team significantly better. And if they do, the relevancy of flag football as an Olympic commodity will then be at the mercy of what is expected to be a massive competitive disparity.
There is a precedent that legitimizes these concerns: The organizers of this year's World Games in China decided against including men's flag football at the competition. Among the reasons given was the perception of a lack of parity and appeal, in contrast to women's flag football.
"If you want a sport at the Olympics, you don't want a monopoly for just one team," Klever said. "You want to have competition, especially if we have only eight teams."
It's up to Brisbane's organizing committee to decide if flag football will be on the menu as one of five additional sports for the 2032 Games. The Committee has indicated that it plans to make its proposals early next year, so flag football's presence in Australia isn't tied to what happens in LA.
However, any decision on its permanent addition belongs to the IOC, which could consider factors in Los Angeles such as level of competition, fan perception and aesthetic appeal.
"That vote is a crucial step toward our goal of securing flag football's position in the Olympic Games for the long term," wrote IFAF president Pierre Trochet.
Flag football's governing bodies believe that including NFL players brings that goal closer to fruition. They may well be right, but that move comes with risk. If it backfires because of disparity or predictability, it would be a wasted opportunity that could not only weaken its Olympic prospects but also set the sport back.
Ignoring its roots
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called it "an incredible honor" for any athlete to be afforded the opportunity to represent their country in the Olympics.
"I know firsthand that the inclusion of flag football in the Olympics has sparked a tremendous amount of excitement among NFL players interested in the chance to compete for their country on the world stage," Goodell said in a statement after the vote. "We are thrilled that they will now have that chance."
IFAF President @pierretrochet
— Int'l Fed of American Football (@IFAFMedia) May 20, 2025
"I warmly welcome the outcome of this vote, which promises to add another dimension to what is already shaping up to be a game-changing debut for flag football at the Olympic Games.@LA28 @Olympics pic.twitter.com/lt11fWQ7dn
Where does that leave the players who put flag football on the map? It's an unfortunate situation, especially since the U.S. was already overrun with talent -- for better or worse.
The flag football players have earned the right to compete in this stage. They've worked for decades, polished the sport and helped it grow, taking it all the way to the Olympic level. In a sense, it isn't fair to ask them to take a seat just because an NFL player who won't be involved in Olympic qualifying wants gold.
"It's a blessing that the NFL will be a part of the Olympics, and it's had a very important role in flag football's arrival, but I would love it if my teammates could still be a part of the team," Doucette said.
What if a roster was constructed with both flag and NFL players? It surprised me that the IFAF didn't stipulate that every national team must include at least one established flag football player, which would've benefited everyone and allowed for the sport's continued growth.
Yes, the NFL has undoubtedly played a part in the growth of flag football (and to its own benefit), but let's not forget that the sport is legit on its own merits, developing its own system, culture and stars.
Once the L.A. Games are over, NFL players will head back to their clubs richer for the experience, some with Olympic gold in tow. Meanwhile, players such as Doucette will continue promoting the sport as best they can. "I think at the end of it we all want the same thing, which is for this sport to keep growing and establish itself on a professional level."
It will be up to the governing bodies to decide how they want to build their teams. The hope is that their decisions don't chip away at flag football's foundation.
ESPN Deportes' Rebeca Landa serves as the lead commentator for a variety of sports, including Spanish-language telecasts of "Monday Night Football."